BTF's investors, partners, supporters, and present team work tirelessly to keep the organization expanding. We’ve grown so much that it's time to add new people to the team.

BTF is rising to new heights! The number of markets that we serve is growing. We recently expanded into Denver/Colorado Springs, CO, and South Florida (Broward, Miami Dade, and Palm Beach Counties), where BTF Engagement Managers will develop local, sustainable residential construction workforces.

After 17 years of dealing with staffing shortages and a demanding schedule in the hospitality industry, Ellie Rivera sought a new line of work.

After a few interviews but no offers, Ellie reached out to a BTF Engagement Manager for help. She sent her resume to the Engagement Manager. Later that day, Ellie received a call from American Builders Supply in Winter Haven, Fla., to set up an interview. Within a week, she received a job offer.

Florida Technical College (FTC) selected Building Talent Foundation (BTF), a non-profit organization committed to building a sustainable residential construction workforce, as its 2021 Construction Trades Partner of the Year. BTF CEO Branka Minic accepted the award on behalf of the tireless team at BTF.

International Education Corporation (IEC) and the Building Talent Foundation (BTF) have partnered in a new effort aimed at helping students at IEC schools in Arizona, Florida, and Texas connect with future employers.

The partnership will provide a wide range of networking, employment, and continuing education support to students graduating from skilled trades programs in order to address the severe talent shortage affecting the residential construction trades – trades such as Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Electrical Technician.

Rhiana Hydes worked part-time with irregular hours in retail until she was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Desiring a career with steady hours, higher pay, and growth potential, she enrolled in the 10-month HVAC program.

Raymond Buhay, a career bartender, was tired of the bar atmosphere. He’d already spent years working nights and weekends. He wanted a reliable new career offering a steady, family-friendly schedule and advancement opportunities.

At a virtual event this past October, BTF worked closely with Simpson Strong-Tie to connect Dallas Independent School District students – and potential future tradespeople – with top industry leaders.

Through Zoom, Simpson Strong-Tie leaders and department heads spoke with 11 teachers and more than 300 students to introduce them to career pathways that lead to professional satisfaction and financial security directly from high school.

When Onix Quintero and his wife moved to Florida from Puerto Rico, he spoke no English, limiting his immediate career prospects.

In their book Someone Builds the Dream, writer Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Loren Long introduce a special audience to careers in the building industry—children ages five to eight years old.

When Tiffany Mobley decided it was time to change her life, she was a single mother with two teenage boys. She had not finished high school and worked as a forklift driver, a job with no growth prospects.

Simpson Strong-Tie is collaborating with Building Talent Foundation (BTF) in a strategic alliance to promote the growth of the residential construction industry workforce in the United States. Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, is committed to giving back to its communities by contributing to the quality of construction trades education and the promotion and advancement of the trades.

The residential construction industry faces a costly challenge: turnover. Retaining existing employees is as important to the bottom line of a business as attracting new talent. Building Talent Foundation (BTF) CEO Branka Minic learned some startling details about turnover in the industry while interviewing workforce experts.

BTF and the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) worked together to present careers that offer job satisfaction, competitive salaries, and growth opportunities. About 30 people attended the hiring event on September 16 in San Antonio, Texas. The event connected talented trade workers looking for brighter futures to residential construction industry employers ready to fill immediate job openings.

Building Talent Foundation Joined Greater Houston Builders Association and Industry Partners to Hold Construction Hiring Event

The Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) and a coalition of building industry partners held a Construction Hiring Event at Gallery Furniture’s WorkTexas facility on July 28 in Houston, Tex. GHBA joined WorkTexas, HomeAid Houston’s HomeAid Works, Building Talent Foundation (BTF), Home Builders Institute (HBI), Habitat for Humanity, and Houston Community College (HCC), to host a job fair attended by 25 employer companies.

BUILDING TALENT FOUNDATION ENGAGEMENT MANAGER JONATHAN KARG WILL ADVANCE BTF’S MISSION IN EAST TENNESSEE

With the help of D.R. Horton, one of Building Talent Foundation’s Founding Partners & Social Investors, BTF announces the opening of their 10th territory in the Knoxville/East Tennessee region. Engagement Manager Jonathan Karg will partner with D.R. Horton, a leading home construction company, to connect talent with employers in the area.